


Formally

by DonTheRock



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Don't Worry Bambi I'll Protect You, F/F, Fluff, Homophobia, LGBTQ Character, Lesbian Character, Love, Teen Romance, Teenagers, soft, your majesty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-12-30 09:59:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18313322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonTheRock/pseuds/DonTheRock
Summary: "Okay, Bambi. You can have anything you want.""I just want you."Amber has had a crush on Andi for a while, but Andi is completely clueless. Now Andi wants Amber's help asking another person to the dance. When Andi succeeds, she realizes she might be at the dance with the wrong person. But it may be too late to be with the right one.Experience the struggle between two hearts to find each other in time, and answer one of life's most confusing questions: is she flirting or is this just another thing straight girls do?





	1. Chapter 1

**Amber's POV**

 

"Amber?" Iris waves her hand in front of my face. "Are you listening?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry," I say, snapping back to our conversation.

I take one more last glance at Andi, who's sitting in a booth in The Spoon with her friends. She's smiling and laughing at whatever Buffy and Cyrus are saying. She always looks so pretty when she smiles. Then she notices me, and gets up to walk over.

" . . . so do you think I should return it?" Iris yaps. "I mean, I'll probably never wear it"

"Not now," I say. "Andi's coming."

Iris rolls her eyes as I frantically try to brush down the loose strands of my hair. I spin around in my seat, smiling wide as Andi approaches. 

"Hey, Amber! You're not working today?"

"Nope," I reply. "Just hanging out."

"You're wearing the headband I made you," she points out. "It looks really good on you."

"Well, that's because you're so talented at making it."

I hear Iris make a subtle gagging noise behind me, but try to ignore it, smiling wider. Apparently Andi noticed, though, because she gives Iris a weird look. 

"What's up with her?" she says.

"She's sick," I reply.

I slap Iris' arm lightly to make her play along. She immediately fakes a cough. 

"Yeah," she says with a raspy voice. "Bad cold."

"Okay, then," Andi responds. "I hope you feel better."

Iris nods and turns back to her milkshake. 

"Anyway, Amber," Andi continues, "do you want to come over tonight? My parents are going out, so we'll have the place to ourselves."

"Yeah, definitely," I reply. "I'll be there at 6:00."

"Awesome! See you then." 

Andi walks back to her table, and I whip around to face Iris. She stops in the middle of sucking back her milkshake. 

I make a little squealing noise, to which she giggles and rolls her eyes.

"Amber, relax," she says. "You hang out with Andi all the time."

"I know," I say. "But it's still exciting. Every time I see her I get these butterflies in my stomach and—" I gasp, grabbing her arm. "I wasn't blushing, was I?"

She grins. "Maybe a little."

I put my elbows on the counter, and drop my face into my hands in embarrassment. 

"Why does this always happen?" I whine. 

"You blush easy. It's not the end of the world. Andi probably thinks it's cute."

"She probably thinks it's weird." I fold my arms on the counter to prop myself up. "I wish she liked me."

Iris shrugs. "Maybe she does."

I can't help but smile at the idea. 

"I think I'll tell her today," I say.

"Go for it," Iris says. 

"But what if she doesn't want to be friends with me anymore?"

"Well, Andi is kinda awkward like that, so it's a possibility." She notices my expression of worry and quickly adds, "But I doubt that'll happen. Look, if you want to tell her, tell her."

I look over my shoulder at where Andi's sitting, then turn back to Iris, looking like a scared puppy. I groan and put my face in my hands again.

Iris pats my shoulder, saying sarcastically, "Glad to see you're keeping it together."

______________________________________

**Andi's POV**

 

"Hey, Amber!" I say when I open the door. 

Amber steps inside, into the light, which make her blonde curls shine. I close the door behind her, and she turns to face me, holding up a plastic take-out container from The Spoon. 

"I brought baby taters," she says. 

"Awesome, thanks!" 

We go over to the couch and plop down onto the cushions. 

"Do you want to watch a movie while we eat those baby taters?" I ask. "Or we can binge Stranger Things."

"Sounds perfect," she says. "I haven't watched the first season in so long."

I pick up the remote and press play on the show. It ends up serving more as background noise when we start talking. 

"Do you get a discount on these?" I ask, chewing a baby tater.

"Ten percent off," she says with a grin. "Not much but—"

"—better than nothing," I finish for her. 

"Yeah." She giggles a little before fixating her sight on my hands. "Do you have nail polish?" she asks. 

"Yeah, in my room."

"Where in your room?" She stands up. 

"Second drawer of my dresser, but what are you—?"

"I'll be right back," she says, heading off to my bedroom. 

She comes back a few seconds later with four different colours of paint: red, pink, purple and blue. 

"Which one?" she asks, holding them up. 

"I like the blue."

She smiles. "Me too."

The tiny bottles clink as she sets them on the table, keeping the blue one in her hand. After untwisting the top of the bottle, she holds out her palm. I know what that means, and place my hand on hers. She begins brushing my thumb with the blue paint.

"You have to let me do you after," I say with a laugh. 

"Obviously," she responds, then focuses her attention back on my hands. "This is going to look so cute."

"I'll be able to have blue nails for the school dance next week."

She whips her head up. "Dance? You didn't tell me about a dance!"

"I didn't really think of it. I mean, it's not like I have anyone to go with."

She looks down again. "Nobody? There's not a single person you've got your eye on?"

"Not really," I respond. "I think I'll just go with friends."

"Friends? So what? You're going to fifth wheel with Cyrus and TJ and Buffy and Marty all night?"

"Jonah's going alone too," I say. "I think." Then I have an idea. "Why don't you come with me? That way I'm not the only one going without a date."

She smiles. "I'd love to, Bambi."

"Perfect! It'll be just me and you and no boys. Just friends having a good time dancing."

"Actually, Andi, I wanted to tell you something." She pauses in the middle of painting my ring finger and looks up, but the moment she meets my eyes, she returns back to her work with the nail polish. "I think I know the perfect place to get a dress for the dance!" she finishes, smiling. 

"Awesome," I say.

She continues painting my nails, keeping her eyes down.

"Amber," I say skeptically, "are you sure that's all you wanted to tell me?"

"Yeah, of course!" She holds her palm out again. "Next hand, please."


	2. Chapter 2

**Andi's POV**  
  
  


The Spoon is busy as usual, people chatting around us at every angle. I'm sitting at the head of the table, with Buffy and Marty on one side, and Cyrus and TJ on the other, so I get to watch both couples snuggling on either side of my vision.

"Are you guys going to be like this at the Frosted Formal too?" I ask, annoyed.

"Probably," TJ answers.

"Why don't you find someone to go with?" Cyrus suggests.

"I am going with someone," I say. "I'm bringing Amber."

"Okay, yeah," Buffy says, "but we mean, like, a date."

I consider the thought, thinking about the awkwardness of a slow song coming on. I imagine Amber and I sitting against the wall, watching all of the couples dancing together. 

"Maybe you're right," I say. "But who would I go with?"

"Jonah doesn't have anyone to go with," Cyrus replies.

I ponder over that for a moment. Jonah and I have broken up, but it would just be one date. One date wouldn't ruin our friendship.

"You know what," I say, "I think I will."

"That's great," Cyrus says.

Then Marty cuts in. "But you can't just ask him. It has to be big."

I raise my eyebrows. "Big?"

"People go all out with these dance-posals. I'm talking balloons, signs. I heard that for the last dance, some kid even made up this secret society to surprise his girlfriend with the question."

Uncomfortable with the memory, Buffy quickly shoves a baby tater in her mouth.

"He's right," TJ agrees. "You've got to do something big."

Cyrus looks at him. "We didn't do anything bug."

TJ grins. "I haven't formally asked you yet."

"What if I ask you first?"

"Then you'll have ruined an amazing dance-posal."

"Great, so I have to think some grand way to ask him?" I say, resting my on my hand.

Just as I say that, I see Amber enter The Spoon in her uniform. She waves when she sees me. Instantly, I stand up and go over to talk to her. 

"Amber," I say, "I need your help with something."

"Anything," she responds.

"I need you to help me come up with a way to ask Jonah to the Frosted Formal."

Her smile falls a little. "I thought we were going together."

"We are. I mean, I still want you to come. It's just that all of my friends will have dates, and I kind of feel like I should have one too."

"I could be your date," she says with a smile.

"Amber, I mean, like, an actual date."

"Oh, yeah, of course," she says, shaking her head. "So you want to ask Jonah."

"Yeah. Apparently, I need to do something big for him."

"Well, how about you come over to my place after my shift ends and we can brainstorm together?" She gives me a smile, which I return.

"Thanks, Amber. You're the best."

I give her a hug. 

"See you later," I say as I turn around to sit back down.

"Yup," she says with a wave.

_____________________________________

**Amber's POV**  
  
  


It's later, and I get off shift in half an hour, so the diner's pretty quiet. I'm currently wiping down the tables while Iris sits on a stool at the counter, trying to process what I'm telling her.

"Wait," Iris says. "So you're going to help your crush ask someone else to the dance?"

 I quickly finish wiping the table I'm working on and spin around to face Iris.

"Yes," I say. "I don't know what to do."

She laughs at the absurdity of my situation. "Well, you could start by not helping the girl you like date another guy."

"I can't," I say, starting on another table. "She's my friend, and a good friend would help her out with this."

"Amber," Iris says, raising one eyebrow, "she isn't just your friend, and we both know that."

"Well, it's not like we're a couple. She doesn't know how I feel about her."

"I thought you were going to tell her last night."

I sigh. "I was, but then I got nervous and . . ." I spray a table with cleaner. "Long story short: I didn't tell her."

"And princess Amber lived happily ever after, watching her princess charming marry another prince," she teases. "Come on, Amber!"

"Iris, I'm insecure. That's already been concluded."

"Then maybe it's time to secure those insecurities," she says. "Unless that would make them more insecure . . . What I'm trying to say is you've never been nervous around people you like."

"Yeah, but Andi isn't just a person. She's special."

"I know," she says. "You've told me that before."

"Oh, yeah," I respond, going over to lean on the counter next to her.

"So you're not going to tell her you like her," she checks, piecing the puzzle together in her head.

"That is correct."

"And instead you're going to help her ask another guy out."

"Sounds about right."

She sighs, accepting my stubbornness. "If Andi wants to do something big and cute for Jonah, I have a few ideas."

_______________________________________

"What was this from?"  Andi asks, sticking her fork into the slab of ice cream cake on her plate.

She looks especially pretty today with the glow of my room's coloured Christmas lights projecting on her hair as we sit on my bed. When I got home from work, I felt fairly worn out, but seeing her gives me an unexplainable boost of energy. Maybe it's because my heart seems to think I'm running a marathon when I'm around her.

"It was my mom's birthday yesterday," I explain. "There's plenty left over."

"Wait," Andi says, "does she want it?"

"Oh, no," I respond. "She doesn't care."

Andi smiles. "That's good, because I've already eaten half of it."

That makes me giggle and she laughs with me.

"You're funny, Bambi," I say.

"Thank you!" Then she gets right down to business. "So about Jonah . . ."

I feel my heart sink at the mention of his name. I liked Jonah at one point too, but he didn't give me the same feeling Andi gives me. Hearing her talk about him makes me feel a little helpless, like I'm trying to make a non-helium balloon float. I still listen, though, because I'm her friend, and that's what friends do.  _Friends._  I kinda hate that word right now.

"Are flowers too cliché?" she wonders. 

"Not inherently," I say. "But if you stand on his doorstep with a boombox and a romantic song to go with them, that'd be a little unoriginal."

She giggles. "But that's so cute! I'd melt if someone did that for me!"

"Me too," I say, smiling back. "Any one of those cheesy romantic movie scenes would do."

"Absolutely. Unfortunately, I don't think Jonah is into cheesy romantic movies."

"Well, Iris suggested maybe singing the dance-posal."

"That would be an excellent idea if I could sing."

"Oh, come on," I say. "I bet you're amazing."

"Well, I wouldn't put money on that bet." She laughs. "Besides, Jonah's written songs about me before, and they're incredible. I could never top that."

"You don't have to top it." I put my hand on her shoulder. "Andi, he likes you. He's always liked you. You don't have to make a big production out of asking him. He's going to say yes."

"You think he still likes me?" she says. "We broke up a while ago."

"Andi," I say, digging my fork into my piece of ice cream cake. "anyone would be lucky to go to the dance with you. Heck, I'd say yes in a heartbeat!" 

She smiles, taking it as me being a supportive friend, rather than the intended subtle hint that I'm head-over-heels for her. 

"Thanks, Amber." She scrapes the last bits of icing from her plate. "I want to do something sweet but not too dramatic."

"How about this: you design a beautiful note asking him to go to the dance with you, and I'll put it at the bottom of a baby tater tray at The Spoon, so when he finishes them, he'll see the note."

Andi grins. "I like it. It's simple but still special. Will you help me make the note?"

"Of course! I have some paper and markers in my drawer."

I stand up to go get them from the other side of my room. The drawer is a mess of drawing and writing supplies, but I fish out what we need. 

"What if he says no?" Andi asks.

I swivel around and look her dead in the eyes. "Andi, he's not going to say no. You're the most amazing, talented, beautiful girl I know."

She stares at me for a moment, as if trying to analyze what I said. 

"Thank you," she responds with a wide smile. "And you are undeniably incredible."

I look down at the carpet and let out a small laugh. "Not really," I deny. 

She raises her eyebrows at me as I sit down next to her. "Amber, you are sweet. You are smart. Not to mention, you're gorgeous." 

I feel myself blush at the compliment. In my stomach, butterflies rise when she places her hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eyes. 

"Amber, any guy would be lucky to be with you."

 _Guy. Why guy? Why not girl? Why not her?_ I turn my eyes down, trying to hide the fact that my smile faltered at that last part of her statement. 

"Thanks, Andi."

She notices the drop in my mood and asks, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I reply.  _Nothing I can tell her._

"You know you don't have to lie to me, right?"

I look up at her eyes, but when I feel my pulse pick up speed, I change my mind and focus on the fluffy purple pillow on my bed instead. Then I grab the container of markers beside me, and root through them. 

"What colours does Jonah like?" 

Andi frowns at my refusal to response, but doesn't call me out on changing the subject. "Blue. Green too. Sometimes red, depending on his mood."

"Awesome," I say, plastering a smile on my face again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, long chapter, but it was necessary. I really like where it's going to go. I'm excited for what's going to happen, so definitely stay to read that. Thank you so much!


	3. Chapter 3

**Andi's POV**

 

"Hey, guys!" Amber says as she greets Jonah and I as our server. "What do you want to eat?"

"Just a burger and a root beer for me," Jonah says.

"Don't you want baby taters?" I ask him. "You always get baby taters."

"Well, you're getting baby taters, right? I'll just share some of yours."

I clasp my hands together on the table. "Okay, then. Amber, get me a strawberry milkshake and a basket of baby taters for us to share."

She gives me a grin. "Coming right up." 

As she leaves, Jonah leans back in his seat. 

"So," he says, "how are you?"

"The same as when you last asked me," I respond, "five minutes ago."

"Oh, sorry."

"How's guitar coming along?" I ask. "Have you written any new songs?"

"Not since that one for Libby, and you know how that turned out. Didn't really think that through."

"Right. Sorry. It was a beautiful song."

"Thanks, Andi," he says with a smile. "I'm learning "Moonshadow" right now."

"I know that song!" I say. "What exactly is a moonshadow?"

He laughs. "No idea."

Suddenly, Amber shows up, setting our food down on the table. "Here you go!"

"Thank you, Amber," I say. 

"Yeah, thanks," Jonah agrees. 

She smiles and walks away, leaving me to watch Jonah as he picks up one of the baby taters before biting into his burger. I take one tater myself, making sure not to expose the note underneath. 

"So there's that dance coming up," I say. "Are you planning on going?"

He shrugs. "I guess. Nobody's asked me yet, so I'll probably just go with friends."

"Oh," I say. "Well, that's okay. You're an awesome dancer."

I watch intently as he picks at the baby taters, waiting for him to see the note. 

"I'm really not, but you don't need to be good to have fun," he says. 

Then he notices the blue cursive at the bottom of the dish. 

"What's this?" He pulls out the note to read it, smiling. "Andi . . ."

"Will you go to the Frosted Formal with me?" I bite my lip in anticipation.

His grin widens and his eyes go soft. "Of course, Andi."

We smile at each other for a moment before I glance at Amber and give her a thumbs up. 

 

**Amber's POV**

 

I give Andi a wide smile when I see her thumbs up.  _He must've said yes. Why did I help her with this again? I should be the one taking her to the dance. Not him._

As soon as she turns back to him, I spin around to fill up a soda for a customer from the machine. Distracted by my thoughts, I manage to overfill the cup, causing it to spill over into the tray at the bottom, making the outside of the cup all sticky. 

"Damn it," I whisper to myself as I reach for a napkin to wipe it off. 

"Does your manager appreciate you cursing on the job?" 

I whip around, feeling relieved when I see Cyrus sitting at the counter instead of a customer. 

"Sorry," I say, reaching for a lid to put on the drink. 

"Stressed?" he asks. 

I set the drink down on the counter and respond, "A little."

I walk the drink over to the guest on the other side of the restaurant, and when I get back, Cyrus is still waiting. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks. 

"No, not really."

He tilts his head, giving me a comforting smile. "Remember what my mom said about opening up?"

I sigh. "Look, you wouldn't understand this."

"Try me."

I take a breath. "It's a . . . person."

"Does this person have a name?"

I leave the question standing for a moment to bring a tray of food to another table. 

When I get back, I say, "No."

"Okay,"Cyrus says. "So what did this nameless person do?"

"Nothing. It's more like what I did. Or maybe it's what she did. I don't know."

"So it's a she," he echoes. 

I didn't mean to say that. "Wait, no, I—"

"Amber," he says, "relax. Just tell me what's going on."

I notice another hand go up at a table and quickly go over to deal with that. Cyrus keeps his look on me when I return to him, his eyebrows up in question. 

"Um . . . I started . . . feeling things."

"What kind of things?"

"Things that I can't really tell you about."

"Well, are these good feelings?"

I inhale through my teeth and turn my head to the side before letting the breath out. "More like . . . questionable things. Things a friend shouldn't feel."

"Why shouldn't you feel them?"

"Because she doesn't feel them back."

"Well, have you asked Andi if she feels them back?"

"No, she—" I stop. "Wait, I didn't—"

"Don't worry," he says with a soft smile. "I won't tell her."

"Thanks," I say, not sure whether to be glad or worried. 

"If you ever want to talk about it, I've been through this before."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, but TJ likes you back."

He raises his eyebrows. "Who said I was talking about TJ?"

"I just assumed . . ."

"And I assumed you were straight," he says. "Assuming is often incorrect."

"Okay, so who were you talking about?" I ask, leaning my elbows on the counter. 

He glances over at the table where Andi and Jonah sit.

I gasp. "Jonah?"

He shushes me. "I'm only telling you to make this exchange of secrets even. Please don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry," I say. "I won't, as long as you don't tell anyone about me."

He raises his hand. "I am bounded by patient-therapist's kid confidentiality.

I smile. "Lovely." Then my expression falls. "Does it get easier?"

"Seeing the person you like with someone else?"

I nod. 

He gives me an apologetic smile. "Eventually you'll move on. But until then it'll be hard."

I look down, taking that in. I don't know how I'll be able to move on from her. Just seeing her makes my heart skip a beat. Every once in a while, I worry it might stop completely. I worry that these feelings might kill me. Although, anything would be easier than seeing her in someone else's arms. 

____________________________________

When I get home, I immediately go to my room and begin trying to dance my feelings out in front of a mirror. Dodie's "She" seems to fit my situation perfectly, and I let the notes guide my motions as I spin around, unpredictable as a flag in the wind. When the song ends, I play it again, setting it on repeat. Even when I run out of breath, I keep going with burning lungs. Anything's better than letting the thought of Andi dancing with Jonah sit and simmer in my mind. _I don't want that. I don't want to see that. I don't even know why I helped her ask him out. I am such an idiot._

When I finally can't push out any more pirouettes without tipping over from my lack of air, I collapse back onto my bed, panting for breath. I focus all my attention on the lyrics of the song, attempting to drive away any thought that tries to enter my brain. But I fail. I think about her beautiful brown eyes, and her adorable laugh—and then about the bracelet she made for Jonah and how I wish she would make one for me.  _I want her to like me that way. But I know she never will._

Suddenly, my pity party is interrupted by a slamming door. Then I hear yelling.  _Sounds like my dad's home._ I don't hear the entirety of the conversation, but from what I can pick out of the muffled shouts, I guess my dad wasted another day instead of trying to find a job to replace the one he lost last week. There's been tension between my parents ever since, and I've been doing my best to avoid it. 

I quietly slide off my bed and go over to open the window above my desk. The icy air hits me immediately, but it's not snowing, so I put up with it, climbing out onto the flat part of the roof. I guess it was supposed to be some kind of balcony when the house was being built, but that plan was ever followed through with, and now it's just a wide ledge peeking out of the roof, perfect for me to sit on when I need to escape for a while. 

I reach back inside to pluck my phone off the dresser, then unlock it. I catch another yell from inside, which motivates me to shove my window closed so I can be alone with the night and the quiet hum of cars passing by. A tap on the screen of my phone starts the song again, filling the silence as I lie down, looking up at the black sky. I want to forget about everything happening inside, and just focus on this. But trying to do that only reminds me of Andi, and I get the urge to text her.

 **Amber:**  Hey.

 **Andi:**  What's up?

 **Amber:**  Nothing much. Just wanted to talk.

 **Andi:**  Anything specific?

 **Amber:**  Anything is fine.

 **Andi:**  Is everything okay?

 **Amber:**  Yeah. Why do you ask?

 **Andi:**  You don't usually text me to talk about anything. 

She's right, but I'm not going to admit that. I don't want to her know what's happening on the other side of my bedroom window. I don't want her to worry about me. 

 **Amber:**  Then talk about something specific.

 **Andi:**  Okay.

 **Andi:**  Jonah loved your idea with the sign in the baby taters!

_Something other than that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a tough chapter to write, because explaining someone's personal thoughts is really difficult, and I don't think I did it as well as I wanted to, but it's not terrible, so yeah. The "Moonshadow" song is by Cat Stevens in case anyone cared.


	4. Chapter 4

**Andi's POV**  
  
  


"Where are we going?" I ask.

I follow Amber down the street, past several shops. Before answering, she reaches back to take my hand, pulling me farther forward. She stops in front of Nine Lives, grinning wide.

"We're wearing vintage to the dance?" I say.

"This is where I saw the dress," she responds. "That one I said would be perfect for you."

She pushes open the doors and immediately beelines for the dress section. I'm instantly hit by the plethora of options before me, but Amber is jumping right in, swiping through the clothes with lightning speed. She pulls one off the rack and drapes it over her arm.

"This is the one I saw before, but go ahead and pick out a few options," she says.

I collect two, and she finds one, holding it up for me to see.

"You into shoulder pads?" she asks with a laugh.

Other than that, it's really pretty, designed with a blue lace overlay and a detailed beaded collar.

"Not really," I say, giggling with her.

She puts it over her arm, saying, "Suit yourself, but I'm gonna try it on."

After we've collected a few each, we go toward the dressing room. We take turns trying on the dresses, starting with me. Amber waits on the seat for me to finish changing. When I do, I step out through the door with a twirl, revealing a purple dress with a sheer overlay and straps lined with fabric flowers—one that I picked out for myself.

"It's beautiful!" Amber says.

"I don't think purple's really my colour," I say. In the mirror, I don't glow like a teenage girl should when she's going to a dance, and the puffiness of the flowery straps encloses my neck like a sandwich.

"Try on the pink one," she says.

It's not the one she picked out, but it's better. I come out and look in the mirror at the simplicity of the draping A-line skirt and bow on my chest.

"It's nice," I say.

"But not perfect," Amber finishes for me.

"Yeah." Then I turn to look at her. "You try one on."

She smiles and trades places with me, so I get to sit on the chair and wait for her. She comes out of the change room with a shiny blue dress down to her knees. There's a floral pattern embroidered at the end of the skirt, adding a nice touch. She smiles and spins around, her blonde curls bouncing with the movement.

"Amber, you look amazing!" I say. It's true. She's absolutely stunning in a way I've never seen her before. It's crazy how a formal dress can change someone's whole semblance.

"You think so?" she asks with a grin. "Yeah, I guess I do."

I laugh, standing up to be beside her. "I can't even comprehend how beautiful you look."

She spins to me and touches my hand. "Thanks. Now for the one with shoulder pads."

She grins as she goes back into the change room, and comes out with the thick-shouldered blue dress on.

She laughs, putting her face in her hands before looking up at the mirror. She tries to regain her breath and be serious as she scans her reflection.

"It's definitely a look," I say with a grin.

"I kind of look like a football player up here," she says, pointing to her shoulders. Then she holds out her skirt. "And like I'm trying to court someone down here."

I laugh and get up see the dress up close. It's actually really pretty with the intricate lace, but the shoulder pads are a deal-breaker.

"Yeah, maybe," I agree.

She laughs at that, and touches my arm. "I'm gonna put the other one back on."

When she returns in the dress, she looks even more beautiful than I remembered. I get chills this time when she smiles.  _Wow._

"Go try the one I picked out," she says, reaching for both my hands.

She pulls me up off the chair, and smiles as I re-enter the dressing room. The one she chose for me is orange, a colour I never would've chosen for myself, but I actually really like it. It fits slim on my waist, flaring out at the skirt, with a white ribbon that wraps me at my centre. The only problem is I can't reach the zipper in the back, so I step out of the room to ask Amber for help.

"Hey, can you zip me up?"

"Sure," she says, stepping up to me.

I feel a tingle extend up my spine as her fingers run along it with the zipper. When I turn around to face her, her jaw drops.

"What do you think?" I ask.

She stands gawking for another second before saying, "Andi, you're beau—I mean it's beautiful." She takes a breath. "Wow."

I smile, going over to get my phone. I come back and open up the camera.

"We look too cute not to photograph this," I say.

I lock my hand into hers, and lean my head against hers as we pose in front of the mirror for the photo. Then she takes my phone from my hands, and steps back a bit.

"A mirror selfie can't do this full justice," she says snapping a shot of me.

I grab the phone from her next, and she poses for me to capture her smiling figure. She comes to my side to see the pictures as I swipe through them. Her arm feels warm against mine.

"We look . . . amazing," she says, tilting her face to see me.

"We do," I agree.

I look up to match her gaze, and feel myself stop when I notice her eyes. I've never realized the way the blue fades into a pale grey near her pupils. After a moment, I think I might've been staring for too long and shake my head away, stepping back a bit.

"Um . . . So these are the dresses we're getting?" I ask.

"Uh . . ." She brushes her hair out of her face, glancing down at the floor before looking back up at me. "Yeah."

"Awesome," I respond.

"Awesome," she repeats, her eyes on mine.

_____________________________________

**Amber's POV**  
  
  


After purchasing the dresses, Andi insists on walking me home. The wind is chilly outside, making both of us shiver, even with our winter coats on. I'm not mad though, because it also makes Andi cling tight to my arm as we walk. _I think she looked at me today—like really looked at me. I just wish I knew what that meant._

"We should go skating sometime," she says. "You know, once there's a reliable amount of snow and ice."

"I actually can't skate," I admit.

"Really? The dancer can't skate?"

"They're two very different sports."

"If you learned how to skate, you could be a figure skater," she suggests.

"Well, maybe you could teach me."

She smiles at the idea. "Maybe I can."

We approach my house on the path, and she walks me up to my door. I fish my key out of my purse and spin around to face her.

"I guess I'll see you again soon," I say. I shove my key into the door lock, but pause to turn back around again. "Hey, do you want to come over Friday? We could have a girls night?"

Andi smiles. "I'd love to."

"Good," I say, biting my lip as I turn back around.

I creak open the door, but immediately catch the sound of my parents arguing in the living room. Quickly, I tug the door closed again and take a deep breath. _Why do they have to be doing this now? I don't want Andi to hear this._

"You know what," I say, "I think I'm going to hang outside for a bit."

Andi looks confused. "Okay. Do you want me to stay or—?"

"No," I cut her off, then force a smile."I just remembered I have to be somewhere," I lie.

"Okay, well, I'll see you Friday."

She starts to step down off the porch, moving with hesitation.

"Bye," I say.

I watch her as she reaches the cement and turns to go. When she's out of sight, I breathe a sigh of relief before twisting around to try the door again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this turned out better than I expected! That's good. Also, thanks for reading this, because I'm honestly falling in love with it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Andi's POV**

 

"Hey, Andi!" Bex calls from the other side of my bedroom door. "Make sure you go to bed soon! You've got school tomorrow!"

"I will, Mom!" I shout back. 

I take another look in the mirror at myself in the dress Amber picked out for me.  _It really is beautiful._  

Once I've taken in the image enough that I can remember every single detail of the dress vividly in my memory, I get changed into my pyjamas and turn off the lights. I try to fall asleep right after pulling the covers over my body, but I can't. Something is clogging my brain, prohibiting it from being able to stop winding around in circles. I reach over to turn on the lamp beside my bed and sit up. My phone is cool in my hands as I unlock it and open the photos app.

 _She looks so pretty_ , I think as I swipe through the pictures I took of Amber and I today. There's one with her smiling with her hands on her hips, and another of her making peace signs. I glide through several more of just her before I get to the ones of both of us. I like the ones of us together. In the photo, we're standing close to each other, smiling wide. There's one of us laughing, another with our arms around each other's shoulders. 

Suddenly, I hear my door creak open, but I don't stop looking at the photo. Bex leans against my doorframe, her arms crossed. 

"You know," she says, "it's not good to be on your phone before going to sleep. It makes your brain wanna stay active."

"It's already active," I say with a sigh. 

She comes over and sits on my bed, peaking at my phone to see what I'm staring at. 

"Nice dress," she says. 

"Bex," I say, putting my phone down, "why can't I stop thinking about this?"

"Well, are you stressed? You keep looking at those photos of your dresses, so maybe you're worried about the dance."

I consider that for a moment. "I guess so."

"Then that would be why you can't sleep. Try getting your mind off of it. Think about something else."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Peanut butter." She stands up. "Speaking of, I'm going to get back to making those cookies."

"You're baking cookies?" I say in surprise.

"Okay, so Bowie's making cookies, but every good baker needs someone to grease the pans." 

She grins, which makes me laugh.

"Good luck," I say.

"Thanks," she responds. "Get some sleep."

"I'll try."

She closes the door and I pick up my phone again. The photo is still glowing on the screen.  _I might've just lied about getting some sleep tonight._

___________________________________

"Careful," Amber says. 

Amber's music plays in the background as I continue tapping the Jenga block in the centre of the tower. There's a bit of friction, but I manage to get it out enough to pull it safely from the other side, keeping the tower upright.

"Are you serious?" Amber exclaims, scanning the tower kept balancing on an unrealistically minimal amount of blocks. "I can't do this!"

I laugh. "Well, you have to try."

She pinches one near the top, causing it to teeter over at her pull. The blocks collapse onto the bed, and we both begin cleaning it up.

"Good game," I say. 

She rolls her eyes playfully. "Pick something I'm good at this time. Okay, Bambi?"

I laugh and stand up off the bed to put the game box back on the shelf in her room. I run my hand along it as I search for something else to play. I stop when I come across a book, picking it up to show Amber.

"'The Question Book,'" I read. "'Reveal your friend's deepest secrets.'"

She raises an eyebrow. "You think I have secrets?"

"We all do," I say. "Well, everyone except me. I'm bad at not telling people things."

She giggles at that, and reaches out for me to give her the book. I sit back down on the bed, crossing my legs, and wait for her to choose a page. 

"Okay," she says, holding the book open with one hand, "When was a time that you should've listened to someone's advice?"

"Wow," I say. "Uh, let me think." I take a moment to ponder. "Well, I definitely should've listened to Buffy when she told me not to buy a pair of boots that were a size too small. I've never worn them."

She smiles. "Funny, but I'm pretty sure you said this would 'reveal our deepest secrets.' Got anything deeper?" She raises her eyebrows in question. 

I think about it. "Um, I guess I should've listened when Jonah told me you weren't that bad when I first met you."

She laughs. "No, you were right. I was awful."

"But now you're pretty great."

She smiles and tucks her hair behind her ear.

"Okay your turn," she says, passing me the book. 

I take it and flip it open to the first page I land on. "What's something you've been meaning to tell someone, but you just can't bring yourself to do it?"

She sits open-mouthed for a second before shaking her head, saying, "Uh . . . I want to tell Buffy I love her hair."

"Awe! She'd love to hear that."

"Yeah," she says, taking the book back from my hands. "Okay, in your personal opinion, do you believe you're a good dancer?"

I laugh. "Not really. I mean, I can do choreography when I've practiced a ton, but not anything on my own."

She tilts her head, eyebrows up. "I don't believe that."

"Well, believe it," I say. Then I sigh, letting myself open up. "I'm actually kind of worried about dancing with Jonah—like, at the dance."

"What do you mean? Like slow dancing?"

When I nod, she grins and steps up off the bed, coming around to where I'm sitting. She holds her hand out for me to place mine in, then pulls me onto my feet. 

"The perk of having a friend who's a dancer: free lessons," she says. 

Then she reaches over to her phone and switches the song playing. "Fallin' All in You" by Shawn Mendes begins, and she puts her hands on my waist. When she touches me, I feel my legs go numb for a second before the sensation passes.

"Put your hands on my shoulders," she says. "Then follow my lead."

I do as she says. She steps to the side then back, and I copy her motions. We sway back and forth for a while, getting a feel for the rhythm. 

"Ready to try something?" she asks.

She removes her hand from my waist, leaving me feeling a little bare, and locks it into one of mine. Then she raises our linked arms.

"Spin," she says.

I twirl, landing back where I was with her hand on my waist, laughing. 

"You're cute," she says, and I feel myself blush. "Now time to try something else."

She connects her hands with both of mine, and lifts our arms up, bringing one behind her head, and I do the same with one of mine. We let go of each other, pulling apart only to catch together again with different hands. She tugs me back in, returning her hands to my waist, and I let mine fall on her shoulders again.

"Dancing like this is fine," she says. "But if he really likes you, he'll pull you closer."

She steps in, closing the gap between us, and I bring my arms up around her neck. She smiles slightly, keeping her eyes on mine. The chills come back again—the ones I got when I saw her in that dress—and I feel myself leaning closer. Her eyes flicker to somewhere else on my face—my chin maybe? Then she narrows the space between us. My eyes go to her lips, and I think about how I can identify the specific scent of her hair from this distance—lavender. I like lavender. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My inspiration for the question book was Question of the Day by Al Katkowsky, in case any of ya'll wanted to find something like it. Ambi's song is linked above. If any of ya'll took social dance in high school, you'll hopefully be able to understand what moves I made my best attempt at describing. If ya'll don't ship it now, you're going to, because I'm bout to smack you with a bus-load of emotions, and you gon be DEDICATED to this ship, thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

**Amber's POV**  
  


All of a sudden, our connection is broken when I hear the door slam closed downstairs.  _My parents are home, and it's likely about to get loud._  Andi snaps out of our connection, pulling away, and I shoot a glance at my bedroom door before taking her hand and leading her in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" she wonders.

I let go of her to shove open the window open above my desk. I grab a purple fleece blanket from the end of my bed, then climb up onto my desk and extend my hand for Andi to take it. She does, and mounts the desk, following me out the window. I push it closed after us, and sit next to her on the ledge. To relieve her of her shivering, I throw one end of the blanket over her shoulders, keeping the other over mine.

"Why are we outside?" she asks.

"I like it out here," I say, lying down on my back. "The stars are pretty."

Andi lies down next to me to keep the blanket wrapped tight around herself. I pull my end of the blanket over my chest to fold myself completely inside it like a taco. Then I roll onto my side and notice Andi looking at me.

"So the opening door reminded you of the stars?" she says, not buying my excuse.

I inhale the cold air. _I guess I can't keep it from her. She's going to find out anyway. It's literally happening on the other side of the wall._ Then I release the breath.

"It's my parents. My dad lost his job, and my mom's mad because he hasn't found a new one yet."

"Well, that's not his fault," she says.

"It is when he leaves all day to God knows where, then comes home and drinks all night."

She doesn't respond right away, and I realize I must've made her uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry," I say, turning my face back to the stars. "You didn't need to know that."

"No," she says, her voice soft. "I'm glad you told me."

I feel her hand wind into mine, my heart beating faster at her touch. We lie there like that for a while, looking up at the sky. It feels nice to be away from everything for a moment—just her and I and nothing else.

_____________________________________

"You what?" Iris stares at me in disbelief.

I shush her. I'm not working right now, which I'm thankful for because The Spoon is packed with people. I don't want the entire diner to hear my story or her reaction to it.

I take a sip of my soda before giving an explanation. "We were this close." I show my thumb and index finger an inch apart. "I thought she was about to kiss me."

She practically explodes at that, waving her arms in shock.

"But she didn't," I say, then I sink down, leaning on the table. "Then she held my hand, but we've held hands before and it never meant anything, so I really don't know what to think. Like, is she flirting with me or is that just another thing straight girls do?" I put my face in my hands. "God, girls are confusing."

Iris rolls her eyes. "Amber, you should tell her you like her. From what you're saying happened, it seems like she could like you too."

"I don't know what happened!" I refute. "It's all just a big, complicated blur."

She sighs. "Every time we talk about this, you always have the same response. Your character development is really lacking. Maybe it's time to pick up the pace on that."

Right after she says that, the door chimes, and Andi walks in, followed by Buffy, Cyrus and Jonah. Andi gives me a small smile before going to the other side of the diner to sit with her friends. Jonah slides into the same side of the booth as her, sitting so close that their shoulders touch.

"That's why I can't tell her," I say. "She likes Jonah. Not me. If I tell her, it could completely wreck our friendship."

"Whatever you say," Iris responds.

She takes a sip from her mug, eyeing me with one eyebrow raised.

"What is that?" I ask, trying to see the contents of her cup.

"Tea," she replies.

_____________________________________

I untwist the mascara and hold it up to Andi's eye. She sits on my bed while I do her makeup for the dance, which is starting in about an hour. Her eyes flutter a little as I brush them one at a time. When I'm done, she smiles, and I forget what I'm doing for a second. Then it comes back to me, and I reach for the lipgloss. She wanted something more subtle than the bubblegum pink lipstick I chose to wear myself. I swipe the shimmer onto her lips as she tries to keep from smiling too wide.

"Done," I say, leaning back.

She stands up and walks over to the full-length mirror beside my closet. She turns back to me, beaming.

"You look amazing," I say.

"Thank you," she responds. She steps over to me, taking both of my hands in hers. "As do you."

Her touch makes my stomach flutter, but I try to remember the reality of the situation. "Jonah's not going to be able to take his eyes off you."

"Oh, yeah, thanks."

She lets me go and glides over to where her dress is draped over the chair by my desk.

"Now to finish the look," she says, picking up the dress.

She takes it out of the room to the washroom down the hall, and I close my bedroom door to change myself. The blue dress gleams as I examine it in the mirror. Then my attention is redirected when Andi reappears at my doorway. She steps in with a shy smile on her face, even more beautiful than I remember. The way she steals my breath and makes my heartbeat go wild reminds me of just how much I like her.

Then she spins around, showing the bare section of her back.

"Can you zip me up again?" she asks.

I step over to her and pinch the zipper, feeling my pulse race as I do up the dress. My fingers graze her skin as they move with the zipper. When I'm done, she twists back around to face me, reaching for my hand.

"How do I look?" she asks, her voice soft.

I try to steady my puttering heartbeat, but I fail.

"Stunning," I reply.

She smiles. "You too."

She keeps her eyes locked with mine, making me feel nervous all over again. Then I take a step closer to her, and she doesn't move away. Her eyes wander down to my lips, and I can hear her steady but quick breathing as I lock my free hand into hers.

"Andi," I whisper, "can I try something?"

She nods, and I succumb to the force in my head telling me to close the gap between us completely. Her lips are soft against mine. Suddenly, I have a moment of realization:  _I'm kissing Andi Mack—and she's kissing me back._

Then our moment is ruined by the sound of Andi's text tone, causing her to pull away and check her phone. She reads the message before turning back to me, eyes wide and face blank as though she doesn't know how to react.

"Jonah's here," she explains. "We're gonna walk to the dance together."

"Okay," I say with a nod, even though my spinning head is keeping me from being able to process her words clearly.

"I'll see you there," she says.

"Yeah."

She turns around and exits my room. As soon as she's out of sight I let gravity yank me down to my bed and just lie there, trying to understand everything that just happened.  _She kissed me. But she's still going to the dance with Jonah._  I rub my forehead with my hands.  _My brain hurts._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a chapter! That's basically all I have to say.


	7. Chapter 7

**Andi's POV**

 

I hurry down the stairs toward the front door, grabbing my coat from where it hangs over the railing on the way. My heart is pounding.  _Is this a dream or did she actually just kiss me? But I'm going to the dance with Jonah. I can't like her that way. Not now when there's a perfectly nice guy waiting for me on the other side of this door._

I open the door and shut it quickly behind me, giving Jonah a smile. He's dressed in a suit and tie, looking just as handsome as expected. 

"Hey, Andi," he says. "You look nice."

"Thanks," I say. "You do too." 

I push the rising memory of Amber in her dress out of my mind, and try to focus on him.

"You've got something . . ." He points to the spot right beneath his lip.

I pull my phone out of my coat pocket, and check the front camera. There's a pink lipstick smudge on my chin. I immediately wipe off with my sleeve.  _Amber._

"It's kinda weird meeting you at Amber's house," he says. "I didn't realize you two were such good friends."

"Oh, uh, yeah," I say.  _Good friends. That's all._

"Are you okay, Andi?" he asks. 

"Yeah, why?"

"You just seem kinda stressed."

"Uh, no I'm fine," I respond, then step down off the porch, turning around to say, "Let's go."

_____________________________________

**Amber's POV**

 

The Jefferson gym is decorated with disco lights, which shine coloured spots into the otherwise dark room. It's packed with dancing middle schoolers, and I scan the crowd for someone I know. It doesn't take me long to notice Andi dancing next to Jonah, and I start walking up to them. But about halfway there, I feel a twist in my stomach and change directions, going toward the drink table.  _She's with Jonah,_  I remind myself. I don't think I can handle being next to her when she's with him. 

I grab a bottle of water from the table and turn to look at the dancers. Andi is laughing, having a good time with her date.  _I shouldn't have kissed her. She clearly likes him. Now I've wrecked whatever it is I had with her._

"Hey, you're the girl from The Spoon."

I turn to see the boy I remember as Buffy's boyfriend. He sticks out his hand for me to shake it. 

"I'm Marty."

"From the party," I finish. "Andi's mentioned you."

"Good to hear I'm memorable," he says, grinning. "Well, I'll see you around."

I give him a nod, and he turns to pick up two cans of soda, then walks over to a group I recognize, made up of Buffy, Cyrus and TJ. He gives one of the cans to Buffy and says something to the group. The result of that is Cyrus coming over to me with a confused expression on his face. 

"Why aren't you with Andi?" he asks. 

"She's with Jonah," I state.

"Didn't she invite you to this too? She probably wants you to be with them."

"I doubt it," I say, untwisting the cap off my water to take a sip. 

Cyrus looks puzzled by my response. "Did something happen between you two?" 

I swallow the water in my mouth and put the lid back on the bottle. 

"You could say that," I reply. 

"Did you get in a fight?"

"Not exactly."  _The complete opposite, actually._

"Are you going to tell me what?"

I turn my head to look at him. "Unlikely."

He frowns. "Well, if you want to talk about it, I can talk."

I give him a slight smile in appreciation. "Thanks."

"Why don't you come dance with us?" he suggests. "We have space in our group for you."

"Cyrus, I'm really not feeling it."

"Okay," he says. "But if you need me—"

"I know," I say. "Thanks."

He nods with a sympathetic smile, then returns back to his friends. My gaze shifts to Andi and Jonah, who are smiling together and dancing. He's holding one of her hands as they bob and swing to the music. It feels wrong seeing their hands together, so I avert my eyes as I walk toward the wall of the gymnasium to lean against it. 

 _I should just leave. She doesn't want me here._ For some reason, I can't make my feet follow that command. I'm stuck staring at the girl I like dance with someone other than me. 

Beside me, a boy stands against the wall, watching the crowd in the same way as me. 

"Not a dancer?" he asks. 

I find the suggestion a little ironic. "I am a dancer. I'm just . . . not in the mood."

"Ahh," he responds. "Glad to see I'm not the only one not in the dance mood here. I'm Walker, by the way."

I look at him. "Amber."

"It's nice to meet you," he says. "So are you here alone?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"Sort of?"

"It's complicated."

"Of course. The best things in life are." He smiles. "I was convinced to come by some of my friends, but they're all out there with their partners."

"Same."

Talking to him lifts my mood, making me forget about Andi. That is all reversed when "Fallin' All in You" begins playing over the speakers, and I feel the twist in my stomach return. The crowd splits into groups of two, and I watch Andi pair up with Jonah, placing her hands on his shoulders the way I taught her to.  _She doesn't like me the way I like her. I just have to accept that._

Walker glances at the slow dancing couples, then turns to me. "So there's two of us, both without someone to dance with . . ."

"Are you asking me to dance?" I say.

He grins. "Only if you're saying yes."

I take a second to think, glancing over at Andi and Jonah.  _Andi doesn't like me like that, and I'm all alone. I have to try and get over her, and I'd rather it not be long and difficult like Cyrus said it would. Maybe Walker is the solution to that._  

"Yeah, sure, why not." I respond.

I smile at him and sit my water bottle down against the wall. We both step out to the edge of the crowd, and he puts his hands on my waist. It feels weird having my hands of his shoulder, rather than on Andi's waist, but I let him lead me as we dance, following his back and forth motion. 

As we step around, I catch sight of Andi, whose eyes are on Jonah. Then I turn back to look at Walker. He smiles, then raises his arm for me to spin around and come back to him. He's actually a fairly good dancer, and being with him is easy and uncomplicated—nothing like being with Andi. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, oof, this is tragic. I didn't overuse em dashes this time! Yay for improvement! Okay, bye.


	8. Chapter 8

**Andi's POV**

 

_This is our song. This is the song Amber and I danced to, standing only inches apart in her bedroom, the song that when playing the first time we almost kissed._

I feel a little uncomfortable with Jonah's arms around me. He smiles at me and I smile back, trying to focus on him, rather than the fact that he's not Amber. It doesn't work. I look back at Amber to see her dancing with Walker, smiling and talking to him as they sway. The sight makes me feel uneasy.

"Andi," Jonah says, "you good?"

I turn back to Jonah and force a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Then a second later I glance back again. She's still dancing with him. That means I wasn't imagining it the first time.

"Are you sure?" Jonah presses.

I turn back to him and step away out of his hold, causing him to have a puzzled expression on his face.

"No," I say, "I'm not. Can I talk to you in the hall?"

He nods. "Yeah, sure."

He follows me out of the gym to the hallway. It's empty, and the only sound it the faint beat of the music radiating through the walls. I stop and turn to face him.

"I made a mistake," I say.

"What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't have asked you to the dance."

He doesn't respond. He just stands there, expressionless, waiting for me to continue.

"I'm sorry, Jonah. I don't like you like that anymore."

Then he does the last thing I expected—he smiles.

"That's good," he says.

"Good?" I'm surprised.

"Yeah. To be honest, I feel the same way."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"That's good."

We both smile at each other, and after a second, he laughs, stepping in to give me a hug.

"Glad we're just friends again," he says.

"Me too," I agree.

 

**Amber's POV**

 

The song ends, and the couples separate again. Walker and I go over to the drink table to chat.

"So do you just paint or do you do other mediums too?" I ask.

He reaches for a cream soda can, saying, "Painting and drawing. I've tried other things, but nothing's quite as captivating as gliding your pencil or brush on a canvas."

"I get that," I say. "What kind of pictures do you do?"

"Everything. I've done portraits, abstract—you name it."

"How about landscapes?"

"Of course! That's basically the start of every artist's career."

"Oh, you have a career?"

I pick up a root beer and flip up the tab to take a drink.

"I actually won first place in a competition last year."

"You did? Wow, you must be really good. You need to show me your art sometime."

He smiles. "Well, actually, one of my drawings was a finalist for a contest pretty recently. It's going to be up on display this weekend, along with a bunch of other art from Shadyside's local art community. You could come with me to see it?"

"Like a date?" I ask.

"Only if you'll say yes."

I smile, thinking for a second. _I don't have a chance with Andi, so the best thing I can do for myself is try to move on, rather than the alternative of eating ice cream and watching youtube videos in my bedroom for the next week._

"Sure," I say.

He grins, taking a sip from his soda. 

 

**Andi's POV**

 

Jonah and I return into the gym. The music has changed to a fast pop song, and the couples have dispersed again. Immediately, I scan the crowd for Amber, noticing her and Walker by the drink table. I hurry over, winding through the crowd of dancing kids. I need to talk to her and tell her how I feel.

"Amber!" I call.

She spins around when she hears me. "Andi, hey! Have you met Walker?"

I give him a smile before answering Amber. "Yes, I have. Um, Amber, can I talk to you?"

"Of course." She nods, then glances at Walker, who immediately gets the hint.

"I'll see you on the dance floor," he says, walking out into the crowd.

Amber turns to me. "Guess what."

"What?" I say. I just want to get this off my chest, but my heart is beating so hard that I'm kind of thankful she's giving me more time to formulate how I'm going to tell her.

"Walker asked me out."

It makes a second for my to process what she said.  _She's going out with Walker? But she kissed me._

"Oh," I respond, trying not to make my disappointment too obvious.

"Yeah, he's taking me to an art show this weekend."

"Oh."

"If you and Jonah want to join us, I'm sure he'd be cool with that."

"Uh, no. I don't think he's into that."  _I can't tell her I don't like him. She'll know it's because of her, but she can't know that. Whatever happened between us obviously didn't mean to her what it meant to me. Maybe I was too pushy. Maybe she just felt obligated to kiss me. That would explain why she's now going on a date with Walker._

"Anyway, what did you want to talk about?" she asks.

I step backward, feeling a bit queasy, my eyes on the ground.  _I can't tell her now._

"Nothing," I say. "It's nothing."

Then I turn around and rush away, searching for Buffy, who I find dancing with Marty in the crowd. When she sees me, she stops completely, looking at me with worry.

"Are you okay?"

I was hoping the lack of good lighting would help disguise the tears welling up in my eyes, but I guess it doesn't, so I do my best to wipe them away with my hands.

"Yeah, I'm just not feeling well. I'm going to go. Tell Cyrus and TJ I said bye."

I leave before she can ask me anymore questions, hurrying out of the gymnasium. After collecting my coat and phone from my locker, I go outside into the freezing air. It's so cold that I worry my tears might freeze, but I can't stop them from cascading down my cheeks. I wipe my eyes again to try and clear my vision enough to be able to text my dad to come get me.

 **Andi:**  Can you come pick me up? I'm feeling a little sick.

 **Dad:**  Sure. I'll be there soon.

 _Why did I have to like her?_  I let my back hit the wall of the building and collapse down to the cement, burying my face in my knees. It's quiet out here, my sobbing being the only sound I hear aside from the whistle of the wind in the trees.  _Why did she have to kiss me and make me feel this way? How could it not have meant something to her?_  But it didn't and it doesn't, and she doesn't like me that way. 

A few tears solidify on the sleeve of my jacket. It's really cold out here. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, don't pay any attention to when I say I'm not going to update, because I'm so incredibly unreliable. Second, good lord. I hope you don't hate me. But it's going to get better, so please don't hate me. I died writing this. Anyway, I hope this made you cry or whimper or whatever. Love you! Bye!


	9. Chapter 9

**Andi's POV**  
  
  


I sit cross-legged on my bed, watching Youtube videos on my laptop and scraping out the remainders of the mint chocolate chip ice cream directly from the container. Christina Perri's "Distance" is playing on repeat at full blast, muffling my sobs. Even with the several distractions, she's somehow still at the forefront of my thoughts.  _Why did I have to like her?_

A knock precedes Bowie opening the door and peeking his head in.

"Do you want to talk about it yet?" he wonders.

I shake my head.

He purses his lips and nods. "Okay."

Then he closes the door gently, leaving me alone with my crying.

A few minutes later, there's another knock, but this one has more force. Then the door bursts open, revealing Buffy and Cyrus with concerned looks on their faces.

"What's going on?" Buffy asks.

They come to join me on the bed, sitting down on either side of me. Buffy studies my computer screen and rolls her eyes.

"I hate to tell you, but watching DIY videos won't solve your problems."

I shut my laptop and lean back against my pillow, digging into my ice cream again.

"Why are you here?" I whine.

"We're worried about you," Cyrus says. "You left the dance so suddenly."

"And you usually love dances," Buffy adds. "Is this about Jonah?"

I shake my head. "We both agreed we're just friends."

Then Cyrus surprises me. "Is it Amber?"

I freeze for a moment, my spoon stopping in the middle of a scoop. "Why would you think that?"

"She mentioned how something happened, but she wouldn't say what."

"Yeah, well, something did happen, but it doesn't matter anyway." I stuff the spoon in my mouth.

"Andi, what are you talking about?" Buffy asks. "What happened?"

"We kissed," I mutter.

Buffy and Cyrus go into states of shock, mouths gaping.

"You what?" Buffy says. "How? When?"

"Before the dance. She kissed me. But it meant nothing. She doesn't like me that way."

"Andi, what are you talking about?" Cyrus asks.

"She's going on a date with Walker."

Buffy puts her arm around me, squeezing my shoulders, while Cyrus looks like he's having trouble comprehending the information I've given him.

"It'll be okay," Buffy says. "You're too good for her."

I feel another tear stream down my face. "Buffy, I really like her."

A second passes for her to take that in. "When did that happen?"

"I don't know," I reply. "I just looked at her—like really looked at her—and I feel like I just saw her differently."

She gives me a sympathetic smile. "I know what you mean."

"Andi," Cyrus says, "you should tell Amber that you like her."

The thought makes me queasy again. "No, Cyrus. She likes Walker. I can't tell her now. And you better not tell her either."

"But—"

"Cyrus! Don't tell her! Please!" I cry.

He nods in understanding. "Okay. I won't tell her."

"Thank you," I say before shoving another spoonful of ice cream in my face.

____________________________________

**Amber's POV**

 

The Spoon is closing in about five minutes, and the last of the guests are now finishing cleaning up their tables as I sweep the floor. As they exit, I give them a closing greeting, telling them to have a good night. I'm about to go over to lock the door when Cyrus comes bursting in.

"Amber, what are you doing?" he says as the door swings shut behind him. 

I look down at my dustpan, then back up to him. "Uh . . . sweeping."

He shakes his head. "I mean with Andi. She said you're going on a date with Walker."

"That is true," I confirm. 

"Why?"

"Because he asked me out."

"But I thought you liked Andi." 

"I do, but she doesn't like me. And although you may think sitting around all sad is a good use of your time, I'd rather get on with my life."

"Amber," he says, his eyes filled with concern, "I really think you should tell her how you feel."

"Cyrus, there's no point. She's with Jonah. Remember?"

"No, Amber. Andi told him she didn't like him that way."

I look up at him in shock. "What? Why?"

"I can't tell you that, but Amber, you should really go talk to her."

His eyes burn through me. I feel my palms start to sweat and lean the broom and dustpan against a table, dropping into the nearest chair. Cyrus sits down in the seat next to me. 

"Amber—"

"I will," I say, cutting him off. 

He smiles, satisfied with my answer.  _Okay. I'll tell her. If she doesn't want to be with Jonah, maybe that means she might want to be with me._

"Now get out of here," I say with a grin, "I'm trying to close the diner."

______________________________________

**Andi's POV**

 

I lie on the living room couch, my eyes on my phone. My mom sits on the other end, reading a book. She glances up at me every once in a while, finally speaking after about ten minutes of silence. 

"What'cha looking at on your phone?" she asks. "I would assume you're texting your friends, but I don't see your fingers typing."

I'm not texting. I'm looking at the photos of Amber and I again. I wish I could stop thinking about her, but that's proven to be impossible at this point. 

Bex sighs. "So you're just not going to talk to me? You haven't said much at all since the dance. What happened there?"

My eyes stay on the picture of Amber in the blue dress that brings out her ocean eyes.

"Mom," I say, "would you be okay if I—" I take a breath "—if I liked a girl."

She lowers her book into her lap. "Andi, you can like anybody you want."

"Thanks."

"So who's the girl?" she asks. 

I smile a little, even though it hurts to think about. "Amber." 

"Wow. I can't believe I didn't see that coming." She laughs. 

"But she doesn't like me," I say. "She's going out with Walker."

"Walker? That kid who made you shoes?"

I nod. "I'm trying not to think about it."

"And looking at those photos is helping with that?"

I lock my phone and sit it down on the cushion. "How did you know?"

She shrugs. "Logical conclusion. Look, if you want to get past these feelings, you can't sit around moping. You need to get up and do something. Go hang out with friends. And if you want to stay friends with her, you need to be her friend."

"You're right," I say. "I should be happy that she found someone she likes."

"Well, you might not be happy, but if you're her friend, you'll support her."

"Okay," I say. "I'm ready to get over this."

"Good," she says. "I don't like seeing you sad. How about we start by watching some TV?"

"Are you going to make me watch some old '90s show again?"

"Hey!  _Boy Meets World_  is a cherished memory of my childhood."

I laugh, letting loose the tension in my breath. I'm not going to think about Amber tonight.

Suddenly, that thought is challenged by a knock on the door. I get up to open it, and see Amber standing on the other side. 

"Hey," she says. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," I reply, stepping aside.

I close the door gently and turn to face her. "I haven't talked to you since the dance."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I've just been . . . occupied."

"I know. You're probably thinking about your date with Walker this weekend. Are you excited?" I feel the tightness in my chest return, but I ignore it.  _I'm going to be her friend._

She pauses for a second before responding. "Uh, yeah."

"That's great. You guys are so cute together."  _Why does it hurt so bad to say that?_

"Thanks," she says quietly. 

"Anyway, why are you here?" I wonder.

She smiles at me, brushing her hair out of her face. "Um, I was going to tell you something, but it—" her smile fades "—it doesn't matter now."

She steps past me and opens the door, pulling it shut behind her and leaving me in confusion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being real, I literally started crying writing the first paragraph. My poor baby had her heart broken. Gosh, how relatable. Yes, there's a Billie Eilish reference in there, because she is my queen. I hope you didn't die completely reading this like I did. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Amber's POV**

 

The room is filled with artwork. Paintings hang on the walls, covering every inch of it, with sculptures scattered on pedestals across the floor. Walker smiles as I follow him over to the sketch he made. It's a drawing of a cityscape, one I can't identify, but it's pretty.

"It's really good," I say.

"Thanks," he responds. "It didn't win, but it came in sixth place."

"It should've won," I state with smile. "Didn't you say you did win a contest?"

"Last year." He pulls his phone out of his back pocket and opens his photos. "This drawing got first place."

He shows me the screen. He captured every detail of Andi's face with such precision, yet it's beauty still can't compare to the real thing.  _God, what am I doing?_

"Are you okay?" he asks, lowering his phone.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say.

"You like Andi, don't you?"

I'm caught off guard, not knowing what to say.

"I saw the way you kept looking at her at the dance," he says.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I wanted to try and—"

"Move on? I get it." He takes a breath. "To be honest, I was trying to do the same thing. But I guess neither of us are quite ready."

"Wait," I say, not knowing whether to feel hurt or relieved. "So you asked me out even though you had feelings for someone else?"

"And you said yes."

I let out a small laugh, making him grin.

"How about we finish looking at the gallery?" he suggests. "But this time, not as a date."

I smile. "Sounds perfect."

______________________________________

**Andi's POV**

 

I look at the clock. Amber must be home from her date with Walker by now. I've been on the couch, staring at my phone, contemplating whether or not to text her for at least twenty minutes, but every time I type something, I get scared and immediately delete it. Then I finally manage to press send.

 **Andi:**  Hey, how did your date with Walker go?

A few minutes pass before she responds.

 **Amber:**  Actually, it wasn't a date. We decided just to be friends.

I stare at the message, not sure how to react. Soon, I feel an energy in my chest, and I let it out as a loud, high-pitched squeal.

"What's wrong?" Bex shouts as she stumbles into the room. "Are you okay? Nobody's dying?"

"Mom!" I exclaim. "Amber isn't going to date Walker!"

"What? Then what are you waiting for? Text her! Ask her out!"

I grin and begin to type, then stop. "Is it too soon? Should I wait?"

"Screw that," she says. "Go get your girl!"

I lift the phone to continue typing, but then drop it again.

"I can't ask her out over text."

"Then invite her over and ask her then," Bex says.

I bite my lip and finish my message.

 **Andi:**  Are you free tonight?

 **Amber:** Yeah. Do you want to do something?

 **Andi:**  Wanna come over? We can watch a movie.

 **Amber:** Definitely! I'm in a Princess Bride kind of mood.

 **Andi:**  Sounds perfect.

Then I drop my phone. My scream of joy is quickly matched by Bex's as we both jump up and down together in excitement. 

"This is so exciting!" my mom says. 

"I know. Can you and Dad go out and do something tonight?" 

She puts her hands on her hips. "What? You don't want your parents around to cramp your style?"

"Yes," I admit.

She sighs. "Fine, but don't do anything I wouldn't do. Actually, I take that back. Just don't do anything stupid."

"I won't, Mom."

"I know you won't," she says with a smile. Then she turns around and shouts, "Bowie!"

He peaks his head into the room. "Yes?"

"We're going out tonight. Andi's having Amber over."

"The girl who left you on top of a ferris wheel?"

"We're past that," I explain.

Bex walks over to Bowie with a grin. "Andi has a crush on her."

Bowie's eyes light up. "You do? My little girl has her first girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend," I say, "yet."

Bowie suddenly glances at Bex. "Wait, we're leaving her alone with a girl she likes? When I was her age, my parents would never leave me alone with a girl."

"Dad, I promise nothing bad will happen," I say. "Like I told Mom, it'll be fine."

"I know," he says with a smile. "But next time she comes over, I get to give her the judgemental dad look."

"Fine," I say, mirroring his smile. 

______________________________________

"Hey," I say as I open the door. My pulse instantly quickens when I see her. 

"Hey."

She steps inside, smiling at me as she takes off her coat. I take it from her, and she plops down on the couch. When I return from putting the jacket away, I join her on the other side of the sofa. 

I could tell her now and just get it over with. But I also feel like I might throw up if I do that, so I guess I'm going to put it off for a little longer. 

"Did you bring the movie?" I ask.

She nods and holds up the DVD of The Princess Bride. Then she stands up and goes to the TV, searching for the DVD player. After she puts it in, she comes to settle on the couch again, this time sitting closer to me than before, making my heartbeat quicken. She presses play on the remote and we watch as the movie starts. 

Neither of us really say anything for a while. Instead we just keep our eyes on the TV. A few minutes in, she scoots a little closer.

"My dad and I used to watch this a lot when I was younger," she says. "At the time, I thought it was weird, but now I can appreciate true art." 

I laugh, which makes her smile.

"My parents used to watch this together when they were teenagers," I explain. "So of course they made me watch it."

"Your parents have good taste," she says with a grin. 

Then we go back to watching the show in silence. Every once in a while, I look over at her. I like seeing her smile and hearing her laugh at each comedic moment. Eventually, I shift closer to her. 

"This is by far my favorite princess movie," she says. 

"I'm not sure if I'd call this a princess movie," I respond. 

"Why not? It has a princess in it."

I laugh. "Okay, sure. But would that mean Mulan isn't a princess movie?"

She turns to me. "No, Mulan is a princess movie. By my criteria, any movie with a strong female lead is a princess movie."

"Doesn't that defeat the whole meaning of the princess title?" I challenge. "I mean, that would make a documentary of my life a princess movie."

"That's different," she states. Then she puts her hand on my shoulder. "You are a princess, and that's non-negotiable."

I smile, feeling myself blush.  _She's really close to me right now._

"So if I'm a princess, then where's my prince?" I ask.

"Not every princess needs a prince," she says. 

"Right," I say. "I could be single for life like Merida. She was amazing. But what about you?"

She smiles and slides her hand into mine, giving me butterflies. 

"I'm not a princess," she says.

"By your criteria, I believe you are."

"Whatever you say, Your Majesty."

I remember the first time she called me that. Being next to her that day felt natural—simple. There isn't much that's simple about us anymore. 

"Amber," I say, feeling my heart pounding so hard I think it might break through my ribcage, "you kissed me."

Her eyes stay locked with mine as she responds, "Yeah, I did."

I look down at our linked hands, then back up at her. 

"Amber, I like you. Like, I really like you."

Then, without hesitation, she leans in and brings her lips to mine. The nerves in my stomach dissolve, freeing up space for flowers to blossom as I give in to the familiar scent of her lavender hair. Our lips move in sync, fitting together like it's their whole purpose. This—the way she makes me feel—this is not complicated. This is the only simple thing about us. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Andi's POV**

 

When the kiss ends, I feel deprived. I wanted it to last longer. I wanted it to last forever. She adjusts her position, lying down with enough space for me to snuggle in next to her, and I feel the security of her arm around me, my head resting on her chest. 

"You never said you liked me," I mention.

"Was the kiss not enough?"

"It was," I say. "I just want to hear it."

"I like you, Andi."

I can't hold back the grin. "Does this make us a thing?"

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" 

I lift my eyes to hers. "Yes."

"No." She smiles. "Not yet."

I'm confused, but I don't move. I like being next to her. "Yet?"

"You're a princess," she explains, "and that means you need a romantic movie moment."

"Okay," I say, feeling a mixture of disappointment and excitement. "But I expect a tiara to come from all this waiting."

She laughs. "Okay, Bambi. You can have anything you want."

"I just want you," I say.

She matches my gaze and comes in for another kiss. This one is slower, gentler, and somehow even better than the first. 

"Okay," I say, satisfied with that answer. 

______________________________________

**Amber's POV**

 

I step up to her door and sit the Bluetooth speaker down beside me. Light peaks out through the blinds in the window, confirming that she's home. I hold the flower crown I made out of roses behind my back. I had to cut the thorns off, which took some time, but it was worth it. Andi is worth it. 

I press play on the speaker and the song starts playing. 

 

**Andi's POV**

 

Bex shows up in the doorway of my bedroom. 

"Hey, I think someone's here to see you," she says.

I get up off my bed and go to the front door. As I get close, I hear the song playing—our song—reminding me of the way it felt to dance with her in her bedroom, when it was just us and the music. The time I almost kissed her. 

 

**Amber's POV**

 

As I wait for her to answer, I wonder if I maybe should've knocked. But then the door swings open, revealing a smiling Andi, and the worry fades away. 

"Andi," I say, "I know this is a little overdue, but"—I pull the flower crown out from behind my back—"may I have the honour of being your princess charming?"

She smiles and tilts her head downward for me to place the rose tiara on it. After the crowning, she rises her eyes back up leans in to kiss me. We kiss for a moment before parting, keeping our arms around each other. 

"I assume that's a yes?" I say.

She smiles and kisses me again, harder this time. 

Then I hear an "aww" come from inside, and Andi and I both look to see Bex watching us from the couch. 

"Mom!" Andi says. 

"Sorry. It's just so romantic."

Andi reaches behind her to pull the door shut, then turns her focus back on me as she throws her arms around my neck and returns her lips to mine.

_____________________________________

**Andi's POV**

 

"That's so cute!" Cyrus says in response to my story. 

I close my locker and turn to my friends.

"I just can't believe you like Amber," Buffy says. "I never in a million years would've guessed that you two would end up together."

"I know," I say. "It's kind of crazy, actually."

"Is it weird for you, Jonah?" Buffy asks him. "Your two ex-girlfriends are now dating each other."

He laughs. "It's kinda strange, but I'm cool with it."

"Thanks," I say.

"Anyway," Buffy says, "so I was thinking of getting Hawaiian pizza for tonight."

"Not Hawaiian," Cyrus responds. "Pineapple does not belong on pizza."

"Agreed," I say.

"We're hanging out tonight?" Jonah says.

"Yeah," Buffy replies. "I planned this last week. I didn't tell you, but I assumed you'd be free."

"I can't," Jonah says. "I have plans with someone else."

Buffy is surprised. "Really? Who?"

"Uh, Walker."

"Again? What, are you two dating now too?" she jokes.

He lets out a shy chuckle. "Funny."

She gasps. "Are you two dating?"

He shushes her. "Yes, but he doesn't want people to know."

"Wait," I cut in. "So when you said you didn't like me anymore—"

"I liked Walker," Jonah finishes for me. "But then he asked Amber out, and—"

"Yeah," I interrupt. "I know."

He smiles at me, and we share a look, an new sense of understanding floating between us. 

Buffy lets out a laugh and crosses her arms. 

"What?" I ask. 

"Walker's now dated three out of four of us." Then she looks at Cyrus. 

"Don't worry," Cyrus says. "I don't plan on dating him."

"Dating who?" comes TJ's voice as he pops up behind Cyrus, putting his arm around him.

"I am not going to date Walker," he says. 

"Good to hear," TJ replies.

Buffy laughs. "Don't you care about the context?"

TJ shrugs. "Nah."

"Okay, well, I've got to go to class," Jonah says.

"Good idea," I agree. "We should all go before we're late."

_____________________________________

**Amber's POV**

 

Iris sits on the couch in my living room, staring at me in awe as I explain everything that went on between Andi and I.

"Amber," Iris starts, "you are a literal Disney fairytale come to life."

I smile. 

She sighs. "Why can't I find a boyfriend who'll do for me what you did for Andi? Like, a boombox and flowers? That's so stereotypically romantic and I am living for it!"

"I just can't believe it's all real," I say. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in." She grins. "How did your parents react?"

I freeze. "Uh, I haven't told them yet."

"You haven't?"

"I wanted to last night, but then I got scared and . . . Yeah."

"Amber," she says, "you know you'll have you tell them eventually."

"I'd rather just keep it a secret."

"But would Andi want that?"

"Probably not." I frown. "I just don't know how."

"But you know they'll be okay with it."

"Yeah, I know. It's just . . . hard."

She smiles sympathetically. "Okay, let's not be sad," she says. "You have a girlfriend! Let's talk about that."

I smile, sitting up to tell her more about the girl I somehow got lucky enough to call mine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter and thought it was cute.


	12. Chapter 12

**Andi's POV**  
  
  
  


Amber's mother greets me at the door with a smile.

"Oh, hi, Andi." She turns around to shout to Amber, "Amber, your friend is here!"

_Friend. Still just friend._

Amber comes running down the stairs.

"Hey," she says. "Let's go to my room."

She waves for me to follow her, but doesn't take my hand. As always when her parents are home, we keep our distance. When we get to her room, she closes the door and spins to take my hand.

"Amber," I say, "are you ever going to tell your parents about us?"

She drops her smile. "I will, it's just . . ."

"Just what?" I say, a feeling a little upset. "Look, I understood it before, because things weren't going great with them, but now they're in marriage counselling, and you said your dad got a new job, and he's in AA . . . What is there to wait for?"

She pulls me over to the bed and I sit down next to her. Her thumb rubs my palm as she gets her words ready.

"I will," she finally says.

"When?" I ask. "Amber, we've been together for two weeks."

"I know," she whispers. "I want to tell them. I'm just scared. Please understand."

I flip my grip, taking her hands tight in each of mine.

"Amber, I do understand." I sigh. "I just don't like having to hide it. I just want everyone to know about us, because you make me so happy. It's selfish, I know."

She leans in and gently touches her lips to mine, and I let myself sink into her. Then she slowly breaks away, looking me in the eyes.

"You just do that to get me to stop talking, don't you?" I say.

She grins. "I do that when you seem stressed."

"Well, I'm still a little stressed." I say. "Can you try again?"

She smiles before coming back in. As we kiss, she runs her fingers along the back of my neck, then down my spin, making me dive deeper. I feel vulnerable, giving her my heart to carry as her own, but my opening up allows her to breathe her fire into me, and all I can think about is how I want to imprint her lips into mine, so that I never forget how it feels when we're intertwined.

We stay together for a while until we're startled by the sound of a knock on the door, causing us to jolt apart. The door opens, showing her father in his suit and tie. He must've just gotten home from work.

"Hi, girls," he says.

I wave in response, but Amber's too annoyed to do anything.

"I just wanted to let you know that I brought some doughnuts home from work. Feel free to have one or two."

"Thanks, Dad," Amber says, trying to hide her irritation.

He smiles at us before carefully shutting the door again, leaving Amber and I alone.

"He seems happy," I say. "Much better than last week."

"Yeah," she agrees. "He likes his new job a lot more, and I guess this one lady owns a bakery and brings treats to the office everyday."

"Really? I want to work there," I say.

Amber laughs at my joke. Suddenly, her phone buzzes, and she gets up to grab it from her desk.

"Iris wants to video-chat," she says, the phone still vibrating in her hand. "Mind if I answer?"

"Go ahead," I say.

She accepts the call and sits down next to me. The screen opens to Iris' smiling face in what looks to be her bedroom.

"Amber, I need your help!" she says.

"With what?"

Iris tucks her hair behind her ears on each side, revealing two different earrings. One is a blue crystal stud, and the other is a silver hoop.

"Which earring should I wear with"—she flips the camera to show us a simple black dress—"this dress?"

"What's this for?" Amber asks. "And definitely the hoops."

"Thank you!" she responds, turning the camera back to face her. "And I have a date tomorrow night."

"Oooh! With who?"

"I'll tell you after tomorrow. I don't want to get my hopes up in case it doesn't work out."

"Oh, come on," Amber says.

"Tomorrow, I promise. Thanks for the help!" She smiles and ends the call.

"Any ideas who it might be?" I ask Amber.

Amber shakes her head. "She hasn't mentioned anyone."

"Interesting," I say. "I guess we'll just have to put up with the suspense."

______________________________________

**Amber's POV**  
  
  
  


At around 9:00, Andi has to go, so I begin to work on my English homework at the desk in my bedroom. A few minutes into my work, I get a knock on my door. Mom creeps it open and strolls over to where I'm sitting.

"What are you working on?" she asks.

I look up from my notebook, puzzled about what she wants. "English."

"To Kill a Mockingbird," she reads out. "Good book."

"I have to write an essay on it."

"Mmm." She gazes down at the page. Then she changes the topic. "You and Andi have been spending a lot of time together recently."

My stomach flips, the nerves making my pulse pick up.  _Please, not now._

"You two have become really close," she says.

"Yeah," I say, picking up my pencil to continue writing.

"Amber, is there anything you want to tell me?"

My lead snaps under the pressure of my grip.  _I can't tell her now. Even if she knows, I'm just not ready._

I shake my head with an innocent smile. "Not that I can think of."

She sighs and kisses the top of my head. "Don't stay up too late. Okay, sweetie?"

"I won't, Mom."

She departs my bedroom, and I get up to fall back on my bed.  _Not yet,_  I think.  _I'm not ready for things to change yet._

_______________________________________

Iris and I walk through the halls of the high school to get to my locker.

"So how'd the date go?" I ask.

She smiles. "It actually went really well. We're going out again on Wednesday."

"That's great," I say. "Are you going to tell me who it is?"

"Her name's Libby."

"Libby? I think I might know her. Does she go to Jefferson?"

Iris nods. "How do you know her?"

"I don't know her personally, but Andi's mentioned her."

"She's really nice and sweet, and she's never dated anyone before who could sign language fluently."

One of Iris' younger brothers is deaf, so her whole family has learned how to communicate with him, which means she would have no trouble conversing with Libby.

"That's great," I say. "I'm so happy that you're happy."

She smiles at me, but it fades instantly when she turns to look ahead of her. I search to see what she's staring at, but it's unmissable. The vulgar word is written in red ink on my locker, scribbled in bold letters for everyone to notice. I stand paralyzed for a moment, not knowing how to react. Then Iris grabs my arm and tries to pull me away.

"Let's go to class," she says.

"No," I respond. "They can call me whatever they want. I'm not going to let that stop me from living my life."

I march ahead of her toward my locker, and she scurries along behind. Ignoring the marker, I unlock the door and swing it open to grab my books for first period.

Then a shout comes from a group of boys I recognize. "What? Would no guys take you, so you had to get a girlfriend? Have fun in hell!"

"Get lost, Drew!" Iris yells at him.

He smirks and walks away with his friends. I put my head in my locker, wishing the darkness would transport me elsewhere.

"Are you okay?" Iris whispers to me.

I spin around to face her, trying to keep myself from crying.

"Yeah," I reply, but speaking breaks the dam in my eyes, and the tears begin to flow down my cheeks. "They made those comments on my photos with Andi on Instagram, but I just blocked them. I didn't think they'd do it here."

Iris comes in to hug me.

"They're stupid," she says as I weep over her shoulder.

"Very," I agree. "Why me? There are lots of gay kids in school, and they didn't have this happen to them."

"Those kids didn't date every one of the boys in that that group."

I release her from our hug and wipe my eyes. "I'm being made fun of because I'm hot and they can't stand it," I say with such conviction that you wouldn't even know I'm hurting.

"Exactly," she says. "And Andi's so lucky to have you."

I smile. "Thanks."


	13. Chapter 13

**Andi's POV**  
  
  


Amber and I sit on the same side of the booth in The Spoon, waiting for Iris and the girl she's been seeing to get here.

"Are you going to tell me who it is?" I ask.

Amber shakes her head. "It's a surprise."

"But I know her?"

"That is correct."

A second later, Iris comes in, followed by Libby, and they join us on the other side of the booth.

"Hi," Iris says.

Libby waves, then begins to sign,  _How are you? I haven't seen you in a long time._

I sign back, saying, "Good. How are you?"

_The same._

Then Iris joins into the conversation. "How did you two meet?" she signs along with her speech.

Libby responds before me.  _I dated her friend in the autumn, but we also became friends._

"She's super nice and really fun," I add. "How did you two meet?"

 _My little sister had a school concert, and she was in Iris' brother's class. We met at the concert,_ Libby explains.

Amber's eyes dart between all three of us, clearly lost.

"Their siblings are in the same band class and they met at their concert," I tell her.

We converse for the next hour, while splitting a basket of baby taters between us. Iris and I translate for Amber the whole time. Eventually, Iris and Libby decide to leave so they can get to a specific craft shop before it closes, the same one I get most of my supplies from. Then it's just Amber and I left to talk alone.

"How was your school project?" I ask. "The one about kinetic motion or whatever it's called."

"Fine," she says, looking down at the table. "I think I aced it."

"Then why do you look so sad all of a sudden?"

She shakes her head. "It's nothing. It's just . . . these guys I know are kind of teasing me."

"About what?"

"Us," she answers softly.

"What do you mean?" I ask, suddenly feeling very protective of her.

She shakes her head again, tucking her hair behind her ear. "They just think it's funny to say stupid stuff and called me names and—"

"What kind of names?" I interrupt.

She blinks and looks up at me. "I can't say it here."

"They called you a slur?"

"Well, technically they didn't call me it," she says. "They kind of wrote it on my locker."

"What? Who are they?"

"Nobody, Andi. I don't want you to worry about it. I'm sure it was just a one-time thing, and it'll be over tomorrow."

"So you're not going to do anything?"

She touches my hand, as she does when she wants me to relax. "It's fine. Don't stress about it. I'm not."

I sigh. "That's what worries me."

She puts her arm around me and I lean my head on her shoulder.

"You know," I say, "you really should be more open about your emotions. I want to be able to help."

"Nothing needs to be helped. It's all fine," she assures me.

____________________________________

**Amber's POV**  
  
  


The mall is busy this evening. My parents wanted to get some things, so they dragged me along, because they decided it would be good family time if I came too, since I've been spending so much time with Andi lately and not them. Still, the whole time I'm there, I wonder what she's doing, wishing I could be with her. It's just been a little tense for me being around them, because I'm hiding such a huge part of my life, but I just don't have the courage to tell them about it yet.

As my parents turn to enter a store, my phone dings, and I stop walking.

"I'll wait out here," I tell them.

"Okay," my mom says. "Don't wander off."

"I won't," I assure her.

She smiles then continues away with my dad, leaving me to sit down on the bench in the centre isle and check my phone. It's Andi.

 **Andi:** Hey, princess.

I grin reading the message. I'm about to type my response when I hear someone shout my name, and turn to recognize the source. The boys from school are here: Drew, Nick, and Haseeb. They all approach me in a cluster, but Haseeb makes the next remark.

"You texting that bitch of yours?"

I stand up, staring him dead in the eyes. "What do you want, Haseeb?"

He smirks and looks at his friends. "She couldn't get a guy to like her, so she convinced a girl that she was something more than just a waste of air."

"Leave me alone," I say.

Then Nick joins in. "Why don't you just go to hell where you belong?"

"I rather not, because then I'd have to see you everyday," I sneer.

"What's going on?" comes a my mother's voice from behind me.

I don't turn around, not wanting to see her reaction. 

Nick ignores her too, sniping one last shot at me. "You're nothing but a disgusting lesbian. Go kill yourself."

Then he smirks and turns around with his friends, walking off like they own the world. I stand frozen, my breath quaking, afraid to face my parents.

"Amber," my mom says, her voice filled with concern.

I take another breath and slowly step around to look at her.

My father's there too, looking just as worried as my mom. They immediately come up to me.

"Are you okay?" my mom asks, coming in for a hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lie.

She releases me and gives me a worried look, her eyes burning through mine. "Honey, what those boys said is not right. Please know that if they say things like that again, we'll be here to support you."

Instantly, tears break from my eyes. "But they're right."

She stares at me with concern. "Honey, if you're talking about liking girls, we already knew that. But you are so much more than just that, I promise."

I'm bewildered. "You knew?"

She smiles with kind eyes. "Honey, you've been seeing Andi an awful lot lately. And your always so much happier when she's around. Did you think we wouldn't piece it together?"

I glance to my dad, who's looking at me with an expression to match my mom's.

"We love you," he says. "We just wish you would've been honest with us."

That makes me cry even more, capturing the attention of a few bystanders. My parents embrace me in their arms, letting me melt into their hold. I wish I could've told them under different circumstances, but I'm still so glad to finally get it out in the open. I don't have to lie to them anymore.

___________________________________

**Andi's POV**  
  
  


I show up at Amber's house and ring the doorbell. Amber's dad is the one to answer.

"Hi," I say with a smile.

"Hi, Andi," he says. Then he turns around to call to Amber, "Amber, your girlfriend's here!"

_Wait. Did I hear that correctly?_

He looks back and smiles when he sees the astonishment on my face.

"Treat her well," he says. "You made her really happy."

That makes me blush.

He looks behind him again, then tells me, "She's in her room. You can just head on up there."

I nod then ascend the stairs. I knock on her door.

"Come in."

The window is open, and she's sitting out on the ledge, bundled up in a blanket. I close the door and climb outside to join her, stealing a bit of the blanket for myself. She puts her arm around me, encompassing me in her warmth.

"So you told your parents," I say. "How was that?"

"Well, actually I didn't tell them," she explains. "It was the same kids who wrote that word on my locker who told them. Not directly, but they heard."

"How did that happen?"

"Yesterday we were at the mall, and I saw them, and they started saying these things. My parents overheard, and it turns out they already kinda knew."

I nestle my head into the space between her neck and shoulder, my mind still concerned with one question.

"What about the kids? Are they going to stop?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says. "Actually they weren't at school today. It turns out they got expelled."

"Really?"

"Yup. For vandalism and bullying. The funny thing is I didn't even tell on them. Someone else must've."

The sound of her steady heartbeat projects through her body, comforting me with the knowledge that she's right here with her arm around me.

"People must like you," I say.

She smiles. "You know, if I didn't have you, I don't think I would've been able to handle all of that."

I look up at her. "Well, you'll always have me."

"I know," she whispers. "And you'll always have me."

Then she leans in to kiss me, and I feel her heat emanate through me again. 


	14. Chapter 14

**_Three Months Later_ **

 

**Amber's POV**

 

Outside Jefferson Middle School, students chat and disperse, saying their goodbyes before leaving for home at the end of the school day. I keep my eyes out for Andi, but she's nowhere in sight. Instead, I see TJ and Cyrus approaching me with big smiles across their faces.

"Hi, Amber," Cyrus says. "You looking for Andi?"

"Yeah," I reply. "Do you know where she is?"

"I think she had to talk to one of the teachers, so she might take a while," TJ responds. "Hey, since you're waiting anyway, you should come see what we found around the side of the school."

"What is it?"

"A . . . bird," TJ answers.

"A bird?" I repeat, giving him an 'are you serious' look.

Cyrus glances at him, not impressed, but TJ just shrugs.

"A bird's nest," Cyrus says. "In the trees around the side of the school."

"You should come see it," TJ insists.

"I think I'll just wait for her here," I say.

"Trust me," Cyrus says. "You'll want to see it."

"I'm fine," I reiterate.

Cyrus and TJ share a concerned glance, then they each take one of my arms and begin pulling me across the grass.

"Come on, guys," I whine. "What if Andi gets out?"

They ignore me and continue to tug me around the corner of the building. As soon as we round the edge, I stop and my jaw drops. TJ and Cyrus let go of me and grin at each other while TJ goes over to put his arm around Cyrus.

Before me, Andi stands a few metres away at the end of a rose petal trail on the grass. on either side of her, Buffy and Marty hold signs. Together they read "Spring Fling?" In Andi's hands she holds a crown of wound roses like I made her the day I asked her to be my girlfriend. I can't help but smile and blush as I approach her.

"Princess Amber," she says, "four months ago, I never thought it was possible to care about a person as much as I care about you. Last dance, I asked you to come with me because I didn't want to be alone. Now it's not about wanting to not be alone anymore; it's about not wanting to be without you. So this time, Princess Amber, I would like to formally ask you to go to the dance with me."

I smile. "Obviously yes."

Then I throw my arms around her neck and press my lips to hers. I feel her place the crown on my head before wrapping her arms around my waist. Cheers erupt around us, the loudest of which are coming from our friends. As we part, the crowd disperses, and Andi tucks a strand of my loose hair behind my ear.

"Did you like how I asked you?" she wonders. "I was going to get balloons, but I kinda forgot."

"It's perfect. I love it." I keep my eyes locked with hers, and whisper, "I love you."

She smiles. "I love you too."

Her lips kiss mine again, electrifying a spark inside of me. I want us to be like this forever. I want to kiss her like this forever. _I want to love her like this forever._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sad that it's over. I never thought anyone would read my stories, and I'm so incredibly grateful for the readers I have. Thank you so much! I love you all!


End file.
